HomeRange Use and Activity Patterns of the Red La

Authors: David A Ehlers Smith Yvette C Ehlers Smith Susan M Cheyne

Publish Date: 2013/09/14

Volume: 34, Issue: 5, Pages: 957-972

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Abstract

Knowledge of a species’ ranging patterns is vital for understanding its behavioral ecology and vulnerability to extinction Given the abundance and even distribution of leaves in forested habitats folivorous primates generally spend less time feeding more time resting have shorter day ranges and require smaller home ranges than frugivorous primates To test the influence of frugivory on ranging behavior we established the activity budget and homerange size and use in a highly frugivorous population of the Borneoendemic colobine Presbytis rubicunda within Sabangau tropical peatswamp forest Central Kalimantan and examined relationships between fruit availability and ranging patterns We collected 6848 GPS locations and 10702 instantaneous focal behavioral scans on a single group between January and December 2011 The group had the largest homerange size recorded in genus Presbytis kernel density estimates mean = 1083 ± SD 38 ha N = 4 bandwidths The annual activity budget comprised 48 ± SD 40 resting 293 ± SD 39 feeding 142 ± SD 25 traveling and 04 ± SD 04 social behaviors Mean monthly dayrange length was the highest recorded for any folivorous primate 1645 ± SD 2205 m/d No significant relationships existed between ranging variables and fruit availability and ranging behaviors did not vary significantly across seasons potentially owing to low fluctuations in fruit availability Our results suggest that colobine monkeys maintain larger than average ranges when highquality food resources are available Their extensive range requirements imply that protecting large contiguous tracts of habitat is crucial in future conservation planning for Presbytis rubicundaWe thank the Indonesian State Ministry of Research and Technology RISTEK the Directorate General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation PHKA and Center for the International Cooperation in Sustainable Use of Tropical Peatlands CIMTROP for research permissions Funding was provided by Chester Zoo and the North of England Zoological Society Columbus Zoo and Aquariums Primate Conservation Inc and the Orangutan Tropical Peatland Project OuTrop CIMTROP provided essential logistical support We thank all field researchers who assisted in data collection Supian Sabangau Abdul Azis Karen Jeffers Camille Hill Helen Thompson Nick Marchant Luke Ward Bernat Ripoll and Benjamin Buckley Thanks also to Dr Suwido H Limin Professor Vincent Nijman Dr Mark Harrison and David Dellatore and to EditorinChief Dr Joanna Setchell and three anonymous reviewers for helpful comments that improved the manuscript

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